The clacking of typewriters and ‘snikt™’ of scissors, the smell of glue, and the warmth of fresh photocopies, these are a few of the memories I have of a lost art. The art of self published “zines” was drowned out in my life by the Internet, television, and the fairer sex. I know that my friends and I had something to say, but I have long since forgotten what.

One who has not forgotten is Alan Moore, the Wizard of Northhampton, disciple of Roman god Glycon and acclaimed writer. Moore’s recent project, the zine Dodgem Logic, follows in a long history of rebellious, intelligent and critically-minded works. From the revolutionary V for Vendetta, the political From Hell and the psychological Killing Joke, Moore has often pointed his critical eye towards what lies beyond the ink and paper.

Moore starts the first issue of Dodgem Logic with a five-page essay on the origins, history and philosophy behind zines.

“It was the America humorist Henry Mencken who said that “Freedom of the press is limited to those who own one”, words that are if anything more true today than they were then, surrounded as we are by giant media empires and secretive leaders who increasingly prefer to operate behind the handy screen of ‘national security’.”

Moore is no stranger to those “giant media empires” having several disputes over the years with Marvel, DC and even Hollywood over the treatment of his work. Some of these conflicts involved interpretation of his vision, but it also involved ownership of that same vision, and it is this idea of ownership that Dodgem Logic and other zines attempt to address.

Dodgem Logic is truly a homage to the zines of old, with its amateur style of cut out text blocks, doodled cartoons and anarchistic articles.

Artistically, Dodgem Logic reminds me a lot of the drawings of my friends and other zines I have seen. There are several full-page comic strips, with their own messages. There is subtle art in the backgrounds and edges of the articles. Scattered throughout are provocative pornographic drawings, which Moore attributes as an important influence in the history of zines.

The articles in Dodgem Logic attempt to follow the heart of Moore’s desire to merge critical ideas with creative artistry. A comic by Claire Ashby teaches you how to practice urban guerrilla gardening, an homage against private property. Graham Linehan’s article discusses Twitter and what it means to the past, present and future forms of communication. The other articles cover the gambit of other creative arts; personal essays, fiction, music, even cooking and sewing.

At first I expected more from this independent zine, something more counter-culture, even more angry. But that is not what Moore is trying to do with this zine. He is, in his own words, “colliding ideas to see what happens.” This new project is not just about the roots of ownership and rebellion from the pasts of Moore or zine publications, but rather it is about the discovery of what may blossom from those roots.

Currently the zine is primarily a UK-only paper, but one of Moore’s independent publishers Top Shelf Comix is offering it for $6.

Dodgem Logic
Top Shelf Comix

Haunt #5 (Image Comics) As the first arc of the new series comes to a close, it feels very by-the-numbers, and you can see all of it coming a mile away. The writing of Robert Kirkman on Haunt is more on par with his work on terrible Ultimate X-Men than the fantastic Walking Dead. The premise feels very forced and contrived, even by comic book standards, and ultimately feels like a mash-up of other premises (Spawn meets Firestorm crossed with Spider-Man with some Wolverine thrown in) that never exceeds the sum of it’s parts. Ryan Ottley exits the book with this issue, to concentrate on Invincible, and that’s a shame as he was the best part of the book.

Punisher Max #4 (Marvel Comics) Jason Aaron kicks this killer arc into overdrive as the Kingpin (in name only for now) makes his move and in a scenario reminiscent of ‘Brother Mazone’ from HBO’s “The Wire”, we are introduced to an atypical hitman, the appropriately named “Mennonite”.  Steve Dillon does a great job (as usual) of depicting graphic violence and bare breasts, as well as facial expressions that nail the tone of the material.  If you are even a cursory Punisher fan (especially the Ennis Max work) you need to be reading this.

Ultimate Armor Wars #4 (Marvel Comics) Warren Ellis brings this post-Ultimate tale to a bizarre close with a head in a box and some lineage issues for Tony Stark to deal with.  Leading up to this final issue of this limited series, Ellis’ swerves in a direction you don’t really see coming, and it feels a tad too convenient.  The series seems to be a way to establish a direction for the new Ultimate Comics universe’s Tony Stark and while introducing some stereotypical characters types and revealing Stark’s new financial status, the arc wraps up in a very familiar place if you ever read Bob Layton’s Iron Man. Up and comer Steve Kurth does a great job drawing complicated armors and depicting the action and I hope to see him on future Iron Man projects.

Writer: Robert Kirkman

Artist: Charlie Adlard

It almost numbs me to think that Kirkman’s incredible Zombie/Humanity tale is fast approaching 100 issues. Sure, shipping times and shortened issues have plagued the series in the beginning but for the last year it has been on time and delivered the goods in every issue. #69 keeps the heads rolling.

The story so far: From day one Rick and his band of survivors have had their hands (or in Rick’s case hand) full from the get go. Trust has been an elusive commodity to the group but the core has remained intact. With Carl’s euthanasia kill confession to Rick and Eugene’s outing as a big fat liar just a few issues ago, it seemed the group had finally come to terms with their internal struggles. Then of course, smiley faced Aaron walks up unarmed and asks them to audition for his community in the nation’s capital. #68 had the group fighting waves of zombies (finally!) and then by #69 they are on the doorstep of Washingon D.C. Only problem is- getting in ain’t easy and Rick and the crew are still leary of Aaron and his promise of Utopia.

This is the first foray the group has had in a major metropolitan area in the series and the stakes are obviously high for them and the readers. The city is choked with roamers and biters and as they attempt to circumnavigate the city to Alexandria, a signal flare goes off. Its safe to say that readers will sympathize with Rick’s apprehension to the flare given the sudden appearance of Aaron and Eric, who have admitted their lengthy surveillance on the group already. But Mr. Kirkman is masterful in twisting our preconceived notions of every character in the book (The governor, hello?) and its refreshing to see him infer that good people might still exist in this upside-down corpse ridden wold.

Its also nice to see a return to form when it comes to break-neck paced action and violence. Technically, Mr. Adlard’s work is really dense now, with real settings serving as the background instead of barren forests and the amount of high-octane action results in some of his most striking and violent panels to date. I’ve always loved the art of the book but this one stands out as one of the most dramatic issues I can remember. The rescue mission that Aaron and Rick undertake not only results in a massive zombie body count, but some realistic concerns with a severely broken leg of one of Aaron’s teammates. Until now, the survivors have not had any proper medical care; To discover the D.C. community has 3 doctors, including a surgeon, feels like a huge pot of gold at the end of their shit-colored rainbow. Kirkman knows its the little things in life that make the difference in this book,  and peppers them about- whether its a Twinkie or a silent smile on Rick’s face. Dare I say it, Mr. Kirkman seems to be suggesting that there might be hope after all. The question is: For how long?

Book: Grimm Fairy Tales: Return To Wonderland Mini-series
Publisher: Zenescope
Price: #0 – Free, #1 -#4 $0.99
Author: Raven Gregory
Art: Rich Bonk & Al Rio
Colored By: Thomas Mason & Nei Ruffino
Obtained: ComiXology on iPhone
Verdict: This is a great dark spin on the classic tale.

Background:
I was browsing through the free comics on the ComiXology store and found Alice waiting to be read.  I am really stoked for the new Alice in Wonderland movie so, like a horrific scream outside my window, this peaked my interest.  I downloaded the free comic, loved it, and proceeded to spend all the rest of my lunch money while lying in bed downloading the rest of the comics available.

I am panting with my frustrated urges to read the last few books; it’s that much of a page-turner. Or page tapper, in this case.  I enjoyed this new take on the story  so much that I came into work and told another comic fan about it.  He promptly downloaded it as well. Choirs of angels began to sing.

This one’s dark. Dark like twisted black metal in a deep, dank cave You know what we mean – no kids allowed!  The themes and artwork are most certainly geared towards the adult crowd.  If you are looking forward to the new movie, or played the American McGee’s Alice PC game, you will love this comic.

The Story:
The free comic starts out on a mission to sink its dark fantasy teeth deep into your head and probe you with it’s tongue through the new cranial orifice it will create.  Alice has come back from Wonderland and led the life of a normal woman.  Alice went and got married, had some kids, and  ….wait, no spoilers here!

The mini-series throws a few dark and sex type things at readers before diving head trip first down the rabbit hole to Wonderland.  The story follows Alice’s daughter, Calie, through some interesting scenarios in this magical world. Interesting in a “I just took some acid and the colors on your shirt are starting to bleed” sort of a way.

New monsters and a new spin on well-known characters all make for an engaging and thoroughly tasty story.  There’s no sweet an innocent here. Then again, the source material wasn’t actually sweet and innocent either, was it now?

The Artwork:
The art in this mini-series is fantastic. Rich Bonk and Al Rio invest every panel with rich, dark colors and strong line work. Each page of full, rich illustration portrays more than just the story, it immerses the reader into an experience of what Wonderland would be like had it been in some sort of Stephen King movie.  The story is enjoyable, but the art and coloring takes it up a whole new, dirty notch.  This is a great example of how good a comic on the iPhone can look. Seriously, where’s my freaking iPad? This comic brings a whole new meaning to the phrase “eye-candy.” You perv.

Developer: ComiXology
Price: FREE
Verdict: Comic fans and iDevice owners need to have this on their iDevices
Pros: Fantastic way to read comics on the go
Cons: Could we get a paid subscription service?  No DC Comics at this time.

There are a few of us here at Comics are Evil who are horribly impatient.  We enjoy taking in great art and engaging story-lines no matter where we are at.  We just have a bit of want the it now syndrome.  The rise of the digital comic is feeding this habit like no tomorrow.  The PSP Comic store and Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited are both great services to feed this lust at home and work.  But what happens when you’re traveling and don’t have a laptop with internet to browse the Marvel catalog and your PSP is at home?  Grab the iPhone and hit up Comics by ComiXology that’s what!  Yup, our ever growing need for instant comic gratification is enhanced even more by this stellar app on the iPhone.

The app can feel a bit slow at first.  Keep in mind that it is doing a lot of updating and information pulling upon its first few launches.  Patience will bring its rewards though as this reading experience is one of the best on the iPhone.  Having a wealth of features at one’s finger tips while on the go is well worth a fraction of your time!

can you say "cover flow?"

Every time Comics is opened, it will do an update.  It is looking for updated comics, store offerings, chart changes and more.  The first time this happens it takes a minute or so to pull all this information down to the iPhone.  Once it is done, the subsequent updates take but a few seconds and don’t really hinder the experience.

The controls are very simple and easy to understand.  Tapping on the right side of the screen to move the comic forward, left side will go back, and middle will allow some panning around the current panel.  Pinch, or double tap, to zoom in.  Reverse pinch, or another double tap, to zoom it.  The controls are all very well laid out and work really well.  It is nice as one does not need to think about the controls and can pretty well just start using the reader.

Navigating through the app is almost as easy as thumbing through a comic itself.  At the bottom of the screen you’ll find the ever familiar home, featured, free, top 25, and browse features.  The top of the screen lends to the featured, new, popular, and rating search options.  Comics that have been freshly downloaded show up on the home page under Just Downloaded.  You can search the store and your collection by Series, Creator, Publisher, or Genre.  Comics that are currently being read open up right where they were left off.  Overall, the whole process really feels geared towards getting users to the comics they want and into reading them.  It is a nice touch.

Comics does a great job on presenting your chosen reading pleasure as well.  Different panels will come in portrait or landscape.  This reader easily handles those situations with a simple turning of the phone.  ComiXology has done a pretty good job of keeping the panels the same orientation to reduce all the flipping around of the phone.  We appreciate this….a lot!!

even the tutorial is fun in this app!

A feature we often refer to as ‘flow’ shows up in this app as well.  Comic flow makes reading a digital comic very easy; it’s what makes comics like Moongirl #1 as enjoyable as they are.  Comic flow simply travels where the eyes would normally travel on the pages of a physical comic.  For a digital comic, especially one being displayed on a small screen like the iPhone, this is a huge help.  It not only speeds up the reading process, but it helps with navigating through the comic.  The PSP and Marvel Digital Comics both use this type of feature and we love it.  You do not have to use this feature if you don’t want to, but we recommend you give it a try at the very least.

What is a comic reader without the comics?  Nothing, that’s what it is. Luckily, ComiXology has a great variety of comics available to users of this app.  We are not just talking small unknown publishers, either (not that there’s anything wrong with unknown publishers).  Top Cow, Marvel, Image and many others have offerings available on this digital store.  Hopefully we will see more publishing houses taking advantage of this growing market.  DC, we are looking at you right now! Very much looking! In your direction!

Prices here are not out of the ordinary for a digital comic.  Prices pretty well stick to the $0.99 – $1.99 range.  Sure for a dollar or two more you could get a paper printed copy.  You can’t do that sitting at the airport though.  Besides, most people take their phone everywhere they go.  What better way to bring along some great reading material without all that worry about destroying a comic book. Also, as many of us are grown adults, the shame of reading a comic book is ameliorated by “hiding” it behind an iPhone or iPod Touch. Just lookin’ at a spreadsheet, Gus!

he's baaaaaack

There are not only paid offerings here, though.  There are plenty of free comics to fill that handy dandy iDevice with as well.  Ever thought about checking out Wanted #1 but did not want to pay for it?  You can try that free with this app.  New free comics get added as well.  You could get in a bit of light reading and probably never pay for a comic if you really wanted to.

Purchasing a comic is just as easy as it is buying an app in the iTune store.  Find a comic, click buy, and enter your password.  Everything is done nicely and easily without having to deal with extraneous extra accounts.  Keep in mind that this ease also makes it very easy to spend your paycheck increasing that library!

One of the best features we like is that an account created on the iDevice carries over to the ComiXology website as well.  They really thought this through and have made the whole experience pretty simple and painless for users.  Why don’t more developers follow this type of thinking?

One of my complaints is that this great app is not on the Android platform.  I carry a Moto Droid around and would love to see this on the Android Marketplace.  Sure, it might be a smaller audience, but still a bit of an audience none the less.  Beside, the screens on some of the newer Android phones are phenomenal.  More colors and twice as crisp as the iPhone/iTouch.  Just sayin!

you know you want some

Lastly, we at CrE would really enjoy a paid subscription service.  Something like what Zune has with their Zune Pass.  I’d be more than happy to put out $15 – $20 a month to be able to get unlimited comic downloads.  I know I wouldn’t “own” then, but then again I just want to be able to read all the comics my grubby eyes could digest.  So what say you ComiXology….could we maybe see this as an option in the future?  Please!

Those of you who have an iPhone/iTouch really need to check this out.  It has become one of my most heavily used apps on this platform.  Sure the iDevice screen might be a tad small, but just think of what this will look like on the iPad! Exclamation point!  No matter the device you are using, however, this is a simple and convenient way to read some great comics.  Now quit reading this article and go get Comics for the iPhone!

Book: Kick Ass #8
Publisher: Icon
Price: $2.99
Author: Mark Millar
Art: John Romita Jr.
Colors: Dean White
Letters: Chris Eliopoulos
Cover: John Romita, Jr.
Verdict: Something tells me there was a different ending before the movie was optioned.

Background:
Mark Millar is sort of the Garth Ennis for the masses, he has that violent streak but merges it with high concepts and after his initial Ultimates run, he is considered the father of wide-screen comic story telling.  Kick-Ass was his attempt, I think, at a more realistic and gritty take on what a kid trying to be a super hero would actually be like (as a mirror image of his 1985 series, which asked what if the comics came into the real world) and started off with a very violent, black humor filled book – but ultimately a plausible version of this idea.  During the long break between issues 5 and 6 and then 7 and 8, I get the feeling that due to the movie being optioned and produced during these hiatuses, the story may have shifted and therefore the last half of the series doesn’t quite feel as fresh and realistic as the beginning.

The Story:
The book begins right where issue 7 left off, with the betrayal by a key character and the reaction by Hit-Girl and Kick-Ass to the beating they took.  This is the revenge issue, no question.  Suffice it to say that colorist Dean White probably had to bring an extra red pen to work on this one.  The bulk of the story is the final battle between our two protagonists and the Genovese crime family and it is a blood bath.  Hit-Girl has the best moments and lines (literally) although there is a call back reference to Kick-Ass that only makes sense if you have recently re-read the first issues again.  After the ‘titans pimp-slap’ (as the cover so adeptly describes the issue) the family, we are abruptly thrown into epilogue mode where I feel the issue, and the overall arc of the story, seem to unravel.  If the goal was to have Dave, Kick-Ass, simply be a punching bag with no real personal growth or lesson learned than the creators have succeeded.  Or like when you call a big guy “tiny”, Millar is going for the ultimate irony where the person called “Kick-Ass” is really everything but.  Still, there may have been a push to make the movie slightly different than the book, or to keep the ending more open and vague so as to satisfy the need for more material if the movie blows up.  Whatever the reason, and I’m sure even if one is given, it will be the party line, ‘Book One’ of Kick-Ass is extremely fun as individual issues, but the overall arc just misses the mark of becoming a classic.

The Artwork:
JR jr. has been around forever, my first exposure to him was on his early Iron Man run back around issue #141, and he has evolved quite a bit since then.  I am honestly a fan of the man’s work, but there is a certain ‘Jack Davis like’ feel to his work when he seems rushed, and I sense he was on the clock here.  Younger readers not used to his style may find it unappealing, but his sketch lines and exaggerated facial expressions fit the pulp feel of this story perfectly.

Book: Joe The Barbarian #1
Publisher: Vertigo
Price: $1.00
Author: Grant Morrison
Art: Sean Murphy
Colors: Dave Stewart
Letters: Todd Klein
Cover: Sean Murphy
Verdict: Worth every cent; storytelling with depth

Background:
I’ve been a fan of Grant Morrison since The Invisibles. I bought the entire run of 52 in trade paperback due to his being on the title. Sadly it wasn’t enough to save that series from a big fat “meh.” I’ve been a fan of Vertigo since way the hell back when Neil Gaiman wrote the Books of Magic series, through the Hellblazer by Ennis, and then Ennis’ Preacher series.

So it was with great joy I read that Morrison was writing an 8 issue miniseries called Joe The Barbarian, about a young man who, well, I didn’t know who. Which is part of the joy.

So, for a dollar, I grabbed this book at the shop today, to check it out. The pdf preview up at Vertigo had intrigued me, especially with Sean Murphy’s On The Ledge column about how he had furnished this kid’s room with retro cool stuff like Atari, even though it’s set in the modern world. And, being a fan of MR. Morrison, I figured it would be a wham-bam crazy-fest bursting out of the front cover like a lost psillocybin weekend.

The Story:
Fascinatingly, this first issue is a slow burn full of set up and what I can only assume to be foreshadowing and visual hints at the story to come. The big comics-style Morrison wackiness happens late in the book, and is similarly paced at what I can only describe as a stretched out speed. The book begins with a glimpse into Joe Manson’s life: he draws comic-book looking robots, he’s a nerd being bullied by the jocks at school; the stereotypical surprisingly good looking girl who sees through her social conditioning is interested in him. His mom is really busy at work, but loves him, reminding him to eat his candy bar — which is then stolen from him by the aforementioned jocks, possibly setting up the story of hypoglycemic Joe, I figure. We learn, indirectly and gently, that Joe’s dad is dead and buried at the VA cemetery. We learn that they’re having to move out of the house they’re in now, and that Joe’s pretty bummed out.

There’s a back and forth between reality and not-reality that I found to be extremely compelling. I felt that there was a kinship with some of the better Philip K. Dick short stories, though it’s more me as reader that has to figure out what’s going on, as well as the character of Joe himself. Not knowing what’s happening definitely brings another level of depth to the read-through: every image and background detail could mean something tremendous.

The Artwork:
This is some brilliantly drawn and colored art. The muted tones of the coloring job, along with the crunchy, sketchy look of the pencils and inks, really bring a tone of sadness to the whole book. Honestly, I get the sense of the whole team working at the top of their game – art and words working together as a whole to tell the story. I might even feel comfortable in using the word, “immersive,” for this book. Time and future issues will tell, of course, and we’ll be bringing you the reviews as the books are released right here on Comics Are Evil.